Who wrote the 1865 marching song Marching Through Georgia?
Henry Clay Work composed the song in 1861 while working at a Chicago music shop. He was originally a printer by trade before finding his true passion in composing songs.
Questions about Marching Through Georgia
Short answers, pulled from the story.
When did Major General William T. Sherman's troops depart for Savannah during the Civil War?
The army departed on the 15th day of November 1864 to begin their journey toward the coastal city. They entered Savannah on December 21, ending the campaign after destroying infrastructure and crippling the Southern economy.
What musical key is Marching Through Georgia written in and how many stanzas does it contain?
The song sits in common time within the key of B flat major and contains five stanzas plus a refrain. Each verse and chorus spans eight bars long with a four-bar introduction following a specific chord progression.
How many copies of sheet music sold for Marching Through Georgia within twelve years of its release?
Five hundred thousand copies of sheet music sold within twelve years of its release on the 9th of January 1865. This figure made it one of the most successful wartime tunes ever produced according to historical records.
Why did General William T. Sherman loathe the tune Marching Through Georgia?
Sherman came to loathe the tune because of its ubiquity in public functions he attended where hundreds of bands played the melody every time they passed him. He declared he would never again attend another encampment until every band signed an agreement not to play it in his presence.